catch and release

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

I read that quote recently and it has stuck around in my head. I grew up around fishing. My kids are growing up around fishing. Though I seldom fish (because I like to fish in solitude and that doesn’t exist for me), I sure relish watching my kids learn from their grandpas and uncles. There is something so simple, peaceful and calming about fishing – and watching others doing it.

My kids are beginning to love fishing. As I watch them, I’m learning to recognize more about them – the ‘whys’ behind their love for fishing. I am beginning to see what they are really after when they go fishing, and it usually isn’t really the fish.